Printing and duplicating machines



y 1961 E. GERICKE 2,986,394

PRINTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed April 20, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet lInventor? RICH GERIC/(E May 30, 1961 E. GERICKE PRINTING AND DUPLICATINGMACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1959 y 30, 1961 E. GERICKE2,986,394

PRINTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed April 20, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Inventor ERICH GERLCKE WM, FM

May 30, 1961 E. G'ERICKE 2,986,394

PRINTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed April 20, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4ERICH- GERICKE WWMIM'PI'M register.

PRINTING AND DUPLICATING MACHINES Erich Gericke, Flemmingstrasse 14,Berlin-Steglitz, Germany Filed Apr. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 807,534

Claims priority, application Germany Oct. 29, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl.271-59) The invention relates to printing and duplicating machinesequipped with draw-type side lays. In such machine, it is important thatthe sheets which are to be printed are fed through the machine singly inaccurate To this end front and side lays are provided which adjust thesheet before it is picked up by grippers on an impression cylinder andfed through cylinders to receive the impression. The side lays may be ofthe push or draw type, that is to say the sheet may be either pushed upto the side lay or pulled up to the side lay by a synchronous movementof a draw rail and lay.

In forms of construction hitherto known the motion of the draw rail ordraw rails is in the same direction or in opposite directions. If twoopposite moving draw rails are provided, this calls for the operation orcontrol of each draw rail from the relative side of the machine, so thatan actuating mechanism must be provided on each side of the machine. Theprovision of a double-sided draw-rail actuating mechanism involves acomplication which is excessive in proportion to the functional efiectachieved, apart from taking up a considerable amount of space and givingrise to faults in operation.

The form of construction proposed by the present invention provides amuch simpler mechanism for producing the opposed motion of the drawrails, ensuring accurate lateral register of the sheets even whenprinting speeds are very high. The motion of the draw rails iscontrolled by a cam acting through a simple reversing mechanism andarranged on only one side of the machine, whereby elfecting aconsiderable saving in the number of parts to effect the movement bycomparison with known forms of construction. The draw rails themselvesare mounted on a draw bar in the same way as in known devices. The righthand draw rail is secured to the draw bar, whereas the left hand drawrail is slidably mounted thereon and the two rails are urged apart by aninterposed spring between the rails. The motion of the two draw rails inopposite directions is effected by a cam pushing a roller arm, which issecured to the draw bar, horizontally to the left-Le. away from thecentre of the machine-thus entraining the draw rail in the samedirection.

The second function of the roller arm is to push the lower arm of arocker in such manner that the upper arm of the rocker is deflected inthe opposite direction to the direction of motion of the draw bar andrail. A guide member, let into the draw bar in the same way as theroller arm, serves as a guide means for the draw member when the rollerarm leavses the slot in its end position, and at the same time forms astop which limits the motion of the draw bar in the direction of thedraw rail.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment by way of example, andin which:

Fig. 1 illustrates schematically the draw-type side lay in sideelevation;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the mechnism;

United States Patent Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the manner of operation ofthe side lay mechanism, and

Fig. 5 shows the application of the side lay mechanism to an offsetprinting machine.

During the printing operation the sheets 13, Fig. 5. must be fed throughthe machine in accurate register. A stack of paper sheets is maintainedat a constant level by means of a feeler device 14 and the top sheet islifted by suckers 15 and fed to forwarding rollers 16 which feed thesheet to the front lay 17 and the side lay 18 which in this instance isof the draw-type. A curved rail 19 ensures that the sheet lies flat. Thefront edge of the sheet is brought into register by the front lay 17 andlateral register is produced by the draw-type side lay 18 in cooperation with the opposed motion of the two draw rails 4 and 9, Fig. 2.

To generate the opposed motion of the draw rails, a cam 1, Fig. 2, isprovided which displaces a roller arm 2 in a direction towards the sidewall of the machine. This roller arm 2 is secured in a slot of the drawbar 3 upon which the right hand draw rail 4 is firmly secured.Consequently, draw bar 3 and the right hand draw rail 4 move togetherwith the roller arm 2 in the same direction. In the course of thismotion the roller arm 2- engages the bottom edge of a rocker 5. Thisrocker 5 is a two-armed lever. Its fulcrum 6 locates the mechanism withreference to a bracket 7 which thus supports the entire assembly fromthe side wall 11 of the machine.

The upper end of the rocker 5 is movably coupled to a draw member 8which is connected with a left-hand draw rail 9 slidably mounted on drawbar 3. When the roller arm 22 engages the lower arm of the rocker 5, theupper arm of the rocker will push the draw member 8 and the left handdraw rail 9 in the opposite direction to the direction of motion of thedraw bar 3 and the right hand draw rail 4, so that the two draw railsmove in opposite directions.

To prevent the roller arm 2 from sliding out of the slot in draw member8 at the end of its motion a guide pin 10 is provided on the same shaftas roller arm 2.

The return motion, when roller arm 2 has been released by cam 1, isproduced by a compression spring 12 interposed on the draw bar 3 betweenthe right and left hand draw rails 4 and 9. This spring urges the righthand draw rail 4, and hence the draw bar 3 upon which it is mounted, tothe right, and thus maintains roller arm 2 in contact with cam 1. At thesame time, the left hand draw rail 9 and draw member 8 together with therocker 5 are urged back into their former positions.

The front edge of the sheet having been aligned by the front lay 17 andthe sides by the draw type side lay 18, the sheet is now picked up bythe grippers on an impression cylinder 20 and is fed through the machinebetween the impression cylinder 20 and a blanket cylinder 21. Theimpression from a plate cylinder 24 which has been inked and damped byan inking system 22 and a damping system 23 is thus transferred by theblanket cylinder 21 to the sheet. The latter passes between deliveryrollers 25 on to a delivery tray.

The advantage afforded by the construction of the present inventionconsists in that it provides a mechanism which, unlike known mechanisms,is extremely compact, comprises a minimum of parts, and in a very simpleway generates the opposed motion necessary for aligning the sheet,before it receives the impression, in a manner that operates reliablyeven at high printing speeds.

I claim:

1. In a printing and duplicating machine in which the sheets to beprinted are adjusted by a side register comprising side lays to registerthe sheets before they are passed to the impression cylinder forprinting, a draw bar-,- a first draw rail secured to said draw bar foractuating one of said side lays, a second draw rail mounted on said drawbar for actuating the other of said lays, a draw'nrember for actuatings'aid seco'nd drawfr'a'il, a cam on one side of the machine "driven-byarotat'irfg part of the machine, an arm engaging the draw'bar and incontact with said cam, and a rocker actuated by s'aidarrn engaging said'draw'member whereby -as'the=draw"bar and'first draw rail are moved inone direction'the second draw rail is moved in the opposite direction.

2. In a printingiand duplicating machine in which'the sheets to beprinted are adjusted by a side register comprising side lays to registerthe sheets beforethe'y are passed to the impression cylinder forprinting, a-dr'aw bar, a -first draw rail secured to said draw'barforactuating one of saidside lays, a'second draw rail'mounted'on 'saiddrawbar for actuating the other of said lays, a draw member for actuatingsaid" second draw rail, a slot in the draw bar, an arm in said slot, acam on one side ofthemachine driven by a rotating part of'the machineand incoiitact withsaid arm, and a rocker engaging said dra'w member andactuated by said arm whereby as the draw bar and first draw rail aremoved in one direction the second draw rail is moved in" the oppositedirection.

3. In aprinting and duplicating machine in which the "sheets to beprinted are adjusted by a side register comprising side lays to registerthe'sheets-beforethey are passed to the impression cylinder forprinting, a" draw bar, a first drawrail secured to said draw bar foractuating one of said side' lays, a second draw railmounted on said drawbar for actuating the other ofsaid lays, a draw member for actuatingsaid second draw rail, a slot in the draw bar, an arm in said slot, acam on one side of the machine driven by a rotating part of the machineand in contact with said arm, and a rocker actuated by said arm andpivotally mounted on the frame of the machine embracing said arm andpivoted to said draw member-whereby as the'draw bar and firstdraw'railare moved in one direction the second draw rail is moved in theopposite" direction.

4. In a printing and duplicating machine in which the sheets to beprinted are adjusted" by a side register comprising s'ide'laysto'register the sheets before they are passed to the impression cylinderfor printing, a draw bar, a first drawrailsecured to-said draw bar foractuating one of said side lays, a second draw rail mounted on said drawbar for actuating the other of said lays, a draw member foractuatingJsaid second draw rail, a cam on one side of the machine drivenby a rotatingqpart of the machine, an-arm engaging the draw bar and-inContact with saidcam, a rocker engaging said draw memher and a spring onsaid draw bar located between said draw rails.

References Cited in th'e file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,233,895 Mestre a Mar. 4, 1941 2,729,136 Feick et a1. Jan. 3, 19562,836,417 Gericke May 27, 195B

